Conductor-coupling.



W. SPARKS.

CONDUCTOR COUPLING.

APPLIUAJTION FILED 11.4, 1912.

1,034, 1 59. Patented July 30, 1912.

Q V m; v v 0 /f gfi ouentoz I 3% were WILLIAM SPARKS, OF JACKSON, MICHIGAN.

. CONDUCTOR-COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

liPatentedtJuly 30, 1912.

Application filed April 4, 1912. Serial No. 688,430.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM SPARKS, of Jackson, in the county of Jackson, in the State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Conductor-Couplings, of which the following, taken in con-' nection with the accompanying drawings, is

a full, clear, and'exact description.

This invention relates to certain-improve.- ments in conductor couplings for electrically operated horns and similar instruments con taining electrical apparatus to which current is supplied from an external source.

The main object is to provide a coupling composed of insulator sections containing the binding post of the electric conductors having slip connections one with the other so that the sections may be readily detached leaving the horn with a substantially smo'oth exterior capable of being. easily cleansed or polished when desired.

In other words I have sought to provide a sectional couplin having one of its sections rigidly secure to the body of the horn with its outer end substantially flush therewith, while the other section is removable for the purpose not only of breaking the electrical connection between the inc osed apparatus and. source of supplv but also to obviate the inconvenience o projections from the surface of ,the horn during the cleaning operation.

Another ob ect is to provide the vhorn the insulator sections in fixed relation to the body of the horn.

Another object is to provide the insulator sections with'removable caps one of whichas the inner cap cooperates with the sleeve to hold the adjacent insulatpr section against endwise movement: while' gthe-cap for the outer section serves to protect the adjacent binding posts or terminal-connections of the wires against accumulations of moisture or other foreign matter which might tend to produce a shortcircuit.

Other ob'ects and uses will be brought out in the ollowing'. description.

In the drawingsFigure 1 is a face view of a portion of an electrically operated sound producing, device for automobile horns showing my improved coupling in operative position. same coupling showing the adjacent ortion of the casing for the sound producmg. de-

Fig. 2 is ,a plan ofthe' .vice or horn in section. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through the same coupling'and its support taken on line 3-3, Fig. 1. Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are perspective views respectively of the inner insulating cap, the assembled insulator sections con-' taining the slip terminal connections for the w res and the outer insulator cap. Fig. 8 1s aplan of the part seen in Fig. 2 showing the insulator sections and slip terminal C011.

nections separated.

This coupling is adapted to be used more particularly in connection with the shells or I hollow sections of horns or amplifiers containingelectrically operated sound produe 1g" dev1ces for automobiles, motor boats and slmllar uses, and comprises .a metal supporting sleeve -1 and co-axial insulator sections 2- and -3 each containing a pair of' terminals or binding posts 4 and '5 of brass, "copper or other conducting material, the termlnals of one section having slip connections with those of the other section -The metal sleeve -1 which is substantially cylindrical is passed through and fitted closely within a corresponding opening in one side of an amplifier shell 6 and is provided at its outer end with a laterally projecting comparatively thin annular flange 7- abutting against the outer face of the shell 6 to limit the inward movement of the sleeve, said flange being provided inits periphery with one or more recesses or openings for the reception of screws -8 by which the sleeve is secured to the shell against rotation or outward axial movement. The inner end of the sleeve which extends some distance beyond the inher face of the shell is provided with an inwardly projecting flange --9 for engaging ,a corresponding annular shoulder -l0- on the insulator section 2' to hold the latter -co-ineident or flush with the corresponding end face of the sleeve '-1-. The inner end of the insulator section -2- extending beyond the shoulder 10- is reduced in diameter and threaded externally for receiving a hollow screw cap 11 also of msulating material and adapted to cover the mner ends of the terminals or binding posts 4, said cap being provided with a central opening 12 for the'passage' of the wires as 13- therethrough. When the insulator cap 1l is screwed upon the 1nner end of the insulator section 2, it engages with the inner end face of the sleeve -1- to hold the insulator section 2-- against axial displacement outwardly. The wire terminals or binding posts are incorporated or embedded side by side within the insulator section 2 but are spaced apart from eachother and from the outer side of the insulator section in parallelism with each other and with the axis-of said section, and are therefore insulated from each other. The inner ends of these binding posts project a short distance beyond the corersponding end of the msulator section -2-' and are provided with central sockets -let for receiving the ends of the wires -3 which are held in place' by binding screws 15 shown more clearly in Fig. 6. The outer ends of the binding postsare also provided with central lengthwise sockets 16 for receiving the reduced ends as 17- of the binding posts 5. The binding posts 5'are also incorporated or embedded within the insulator section '3 some distance apart and parallel with each other and with the-axis of suidsection so as to insulatethem one from the other. The outer ends of these-binding posts 5 project a short distance beyond the correspondingend of the insulator section 3- and are provided'with central lengthwise sockets 18- for receiving the adjacent ends of electric wires 19 which may be connected to any source of current supply not necessary to herein illustrate or describe; The inner ends of the binding posts 5,extend' some distance beyond the adjacent end face of the insualtor section -3 and as previously stated are reduced in diameter to fit with an easy friction fit in the sockets 16in the bindlngpost 4-, thereby establishing a slip connection between the binding posts and 5 and permitting the'outer insulator section with its binding post 5 to be readily withdrawn from the fixed insulator section 2- and its binding posts 4-, thereby leaving the adjacent surface'of the horn or amplifier 6 free from excessive projections for cleaning and polishing. i

The inner ends of the'wires 1 9 are secured in the sockets 18-. of the binding post ,5 .v by means 'ofscrews 22 as est seen 1n Fig. 6. The outer endof the posts and to'protect them from accumulations of dust and other foreign matter which might tend to cause short circuits, the outer sleeve 3-. and its cap -20 serving as a convenient handle whereby the binding posts 5 may be :withdrawn from or inserted into the corresponding.bingling post 4 to make and break the circuit.

When it is ,desired to clean or polish the surface of the hornor amplifier, theinsulator sections ,-3 together with their binding posts -5 may be withdrawn entirely from the'shell, thus leaving the surface of the latter practically smooth to facilitate the operation of cleaning or polishing without liability of breaking or overstraming the electrical connections, as would be the case if the binding posts were permanently secured to theexterior of the shell.

What I claim is:

'A coupling for electric conductors comprising a metal sleeve having one end provided with an inturned annular shoulder, means for securing the sleeve in a fixed position, an insualtor section fitted within the sleeve and provided with a reduced-threaded end formingan annular shoulder abutting against the annular shoulder of the sleeve, the op osite end of the insulator section being su stantially coincident with the corresponding end of the sleeve, binding posts embedded in the insulator section and extending from the coincident end faces of the sleeve and insulator section some distancebeyond the opposite end of said section, a cap of, insulating material screwedupon the threaded end .of said insulator section and against the annular shoulder of the sleeve to hold said insulator section and. sleeve against relative endwise movement, an additional insulator section coaxial with the first named section, and a separate set of binding-posts embedded in the additional insulator-section and having portions thereof in sliding frictional engagement with the binding posts 'of the first named insulator section.

In witness whereof I have vhereunto set my hand on this twenty fifth day of March WILLIAM SPARKS. Witnesses:

LILLIAN TUNDERLICII, BEITLAH B. 'SKINNER. 

